Improved composition for scouring wool



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

ANTHONY PEPLE, OF EAST BILLERIOA, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED COMPOSITION FOR SCOURING WOOL.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 41,318, dated January 19, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTHONY PEPLE, of East Billerica, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and improved compound for scouring wool and other fibrous materials and also textile fabrics; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

Thisinvention consists in the employment or use of blubber or gurry being the refuse of cod-livers or sediments of fish-oils or of other oils containing an excess of organic matters, either alone or mixed with alkali and common salt, for the purpose of securing wool or other fibrous materials previous to spinning and weaving, or for scouringtextile fabrics, particularly goods made wholly or partially of wool.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and use my invention, 1 will proceed to describe it.

The proportion in which I use blubber or gurry and mix it with alkalies and common salt varies according to the work to be effected. For the purpose of'scouring wool, for instance, theproportion of the compound is about as I follows: blubber or gurry, four hundred and fifty parts; alkaline lye, (40 Baum,) one hundred and eighty parts, salt, twelve hundred parts; soda-ash, five hundred and seventy parts. And for securing woolen cloth the proportion of the different ingredients is about as follows: blubber or gurry, three hundred parts; alkaline lye, (4O Baum,) ninety-two parts; salt, one hundred parts; soda-ash, one hundred and ten parts. The blubber or gurry is first combined with or dissolved in the alka line lye in about the proportion above specified, and then the salt and soda-ash are added, and the entire mass is well mixed together by means of a rake or in any convenient manner until it forms a homogeneous compound.

The alkaline lye may be made of caustic soda or potash, or of the carbonates of said alkalies, and the soda-ash may be replaced by potash or pearl-ash, or any other similar salt.

In mixing the ingredients together a slight degree of heat may be applied to promote the contact of the various materials with the blubber or gurry. The operation of mixing may, however, be effected cold.

The use of common salt in the compound is not absolutely necessary, but it is advisable and I find that the presence of salt does not counteract the homogeneous combination of the blubber or gurry with the alkalies, as it would when brought in contact with oils or grease and alkalies in the manufacture of soap; but it promotes the scouring effect of my composition.

When this compound is to be used it is dissolved in such a quantity of water as the operator may determine, and the solution is applied at once to the purposes hereinbel'ore specified.

By the aid of steam the dissolution of the compound in water may be facilitated; and I find that a good scouring-liquor is obtained by dissolving one pound of the composition in one gallon of water.

The principal advantages of my scouring compound are First, its cheapness. It can be made entirely by a cold process, and no heating nor boiling is required.

Second. The use of an excess ofalkalies and salt will not prevent the homogeneous combination of the ingredients, asit will in common soaps, and therefore any desired strength can be given to my compound, whereas the strength of ordinary soaps is limited by the amount of alkali that can be added. The use of salt in common soaps is not practicable.

It remains to remark that the ingredients which I have named might be singly dissolved in the scouring-liquor, and a similar effect would be produced to that of my compound. I prefer to mix the ingredients, however; in order to produce a marketable compound.

. \Vhat I claim as new, and desire tosecurc by Letters Patent, is-

l. The employment or use of blubber or gurry or the refuse of such oils containing an excess of organic matters mixed with alkalies and common salt, substantially in the manner and about in the proportions herein specified.

2. The application of blubber or gurry in combination with alkalies, when the same are mixed together or added singly to the scouring-liquor, as set forth.

3. The employment or use of common salt in combination with blubber or gurry and alkalies, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

ANTHONY PEPLE. 

